I've been looking forward to reading 'Perilous Journey to Freedom,' knowing that it takes place in the Alps. (No, I'm not a mountain climber, but my first encounter with snow was in the Swiss Alps.) The story is set in 1943 and begins with heavy foreshadowing as we are introduced to the main characters. Astrid, a young Jewish woman living with her family in Munich, is accused by the Gestapo of covering up the yellow star on her coat with her arms. Any contact with the Gestapo is a death sentence for a Jew, so she must run. Felix, an Austrian smuggler of luxury goods from across the border in Switzerland, is required to watch the public execution in his village of two Jewish women who were caught trying to escape. Lastly, we meet Barbel, a medical student with connections to the White Rose resistance group, who has fled to the mountains where her grandmother lives. The difficulties of trying to escape across the Alps to Switzerland were monumental, from physical issues to unforeseen, deadly weather conditions, and the ever-present Nazis. I particularly admired the elderly Austrians in this mountainous region who didn't hesitate to help those escaping, even knowing the dangers to themselves. I was shocked that Barbel was clueless about how Jews were forced to live in Germany since Hitler came to power in 1933. Reading this series has made my respect for refugees even greater. It's hard to imagine the strength it takes to leave everything behind for an uncertain future. This book shines a spotlight on those who chose to risk their lives by crossing the Alps and those who helped them. For all involved, freedom was worth the price, no matter the cost. We honor them by reading books like Perilous Journey to Freedom, and I highly recommend it. "This stopped being about politics a long time ago. It's about decency. And human lives."
